Wikipedia

Draft:Rutgers School of Criminal Justice

The Rutgers School of Criminal Justice (SCJ) is part of the Rutgers University system and offers undergraduate and graduate programs. Located in Newark, New Jersey, the school ranked No. 7 in US News & World Report's ranking of criminology schools in 2021.[1]

Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice
TypePublic
Established1974
DeanNancy La Vigne
Academic staff
30+
Students800+
Location
Newark, New Jersey
,
United States

40°44′26″N 74°10′23″W / 40.74056°N 74.17306°W / 40.74056; -74.17306
Websitehttps://rscj.newark.rutgers.edu/
Map

History

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The School of Criminal Justice was founded in 1974 after the New Jersey legislature appropriated $100,000 for its establishment.[2] Early programs focused on a humanitarian approach to criminal justice.[3]

Leadership

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The school's first dean was Don Gottfredson, a pioneering figure in criminal justice research and policy. The school's library is named after Gottfredson.[4]

In 2025, the school celebrated its 50th anniversary with events recognizing its achievements and commitment to equity and public safety.[5]

The SCJ's Deans:

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  • Don Gottfredson (1974 — 1986)
  • Ronald V. Clarke (1987 — 1998)
  • Leslie W. Kennedy (1998 — 2007)
  • Adam Graycar (2007 — 2009)
  • Todd Clear (2010 — 2013)
  • Shadd Maruna (2014 — 2016)
  • Rodney K. Brunson (2016 — 2019)2-3
  • William McCarthy (2020 — 2025)
  • Nancy La Vigne (2025 — present)[6]

Programs and Initiatives

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New Jersey Scholarship and Transformative Education in Prison Consortium (NJ-STEP)

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The NJ-STEP program provides college education to incarcerated individuals. It is made up of a consortium of colleges and universities across New Jersey, including Princeton University, Drew University, and The College of New Jersey.[7]

Newark Public Safety Collaborative

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The Newark Public Safety Collaborative (NPSC) represents the school's community-centered approach to crime prevention.[8] Under the direction of Alejandro Giménez Santana, this initiative is data-driven and has led to decreases in homicides and auto thefts in Newark, NJ.[9]State officials announced $3 million in state funding to support the NPSC in 2025.[10]

Research and Reporting

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The school's faculty and alumni contribute to criminal justice research and public policy.

Policing

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  • Police Use of Body Cameras: Dean La Vigne was quoted in the Washington Post in an article on the killing of Jabari Peoples, describing the discretion agencies have in releasing body camera footage.[11]
  • Policing: TIME article references faculty member Paul Boxer for his research on the impact of hyperpolicing on children and teens.[12]
  • Policing in Memphis: La Vigne was quoted in an article about the Trump administration's deployment of the National Guard and other federal agents to Memphis, TN.[13]
  • Police Use of Force: Valerio Baćak, associate professor, has been cited in contexts relating to continued police use of force in Jersey City.[14]

Crime

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  • Counterfeit Goods in China: Ko-Lin Chin, current faculty member, investigated and published a book on the emergence of counterfeit in China.[15]
  • Justice-Focused Crime Research: In an article in The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, La Vigne advocates for strengthening crime research through greater engagement with practitioners and local residents.[16]
  • Reducing Firearm Harm: La Vigne referenced in JAMA Summit plan to reduce firearm harm by 2040.[17]
  • Local Gangs: La Vigne quoted in article proving that generations of vulnerable kids have been lured to join violent ranks of Minneapolis gangs.

Youth

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  • Social Media's Role in Youth Violence: Axios quoted Boxer addressing how social media played part in 1/3 of youth gun homicides in Indianapolis.[18]
  • Improving the Youth Welfare System: Frank Edwards, associate professor, quoted on how to make the youth welfare system 'less traumatizing.'[19]
  • Trends in Suspects of Political Violence: Boxer's researched quoted in article suspects in politically tinged killings come from backgrounds of relative safety, comfort, and privilege during adolescence.[20]

Prisons

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  • Humane Prison Conditions: La Vigne was quoted in Stateline on the need to create appropriate conditions for both incarcerated people and prison employees.[21]
  • Women's Reentry: Pilar Larroulet, assistant professor, gives her opinion on incarcerated women's reentry into society.[22]
  • Probation Rules: Ebony Ruhland, associate professor, cited for her work regarding probation rules and rates of imprisonments.[23]

Faculty[24]

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Current Faculty

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  • Robert Apel - Ph.D./M.A.; Labor market, justice policy, and life course
  • Keisha April - Ph.D./J.D./A.B.; Juvenile justice, policing, and mental health & crime
  • Valerio Baćak - Ph.D/A.M./M.A/M.Sc.; Health and criminal justice, human rights, and comparative criminology
  • Brenden Beck - Ph.D.; Policing, cities, and spatial analysis
  • Colleen Berressa - Ph.D.; Sentencing & courts, psychology & law, and punishment
  • Joel Caplan - Ph.D.; Communities, crime, and policing
  • Ko-lin Chin Ph.D.; Gangs & organized crime, human smuggling & trafficking, and drug trafficking
  • Todd Clear - Ph.D./M.A.; Corrections, mass incarceration, and sentencing
  • Frank Edwards - Ph.D./M.A. Policing, race, and children & families
  • Alex Gimenez-Santana - Ph.D./M.S.; GIS, crime mapping, and neighborhood effects on crime
  • Elizabeth Griffiths - Ph.D./M.A.; Neighborhood effects, criminological theory, and GIS & spatial methodologies
  • Nancy La Vigne - Ph.D./M.P.A.; Crime prevention, spatial analysis, and policing
  • Pilar Larroulet - Ph.D.; Incarceration & reentry, life course, and gender & crime
  • Bill McCarthy - Ph.D.; Violence, race & crime, and sex work
  • Jody Miller - Ph.D./M.A.; Feminist/Gender theory, gender, crime & victimization, and qualitative research methods
  • Joel Miller - Ph.D./M.Sc.; Environmental criminology, juvenile justice, and police accountability
  • Michael Ostermann - Ph.D./M.A.; Evidence-based crime policy, reentry, and parole
  • Allegra Pocinki - Ph.D.; Communities, mass incarceration, and children & families
  • Andres F. Rengifo - Ph.D./M.A.; Social control, communities & crime, and cross-cultural & evaluation research
  • Ebony Ruhland - Ph.D./M.A.; Police & community, probation, and correction policies
  • Nusret M. Sahin - Ph.D.; Procedural justice, body-worn cameras, and geospatial technologies for public safety and police training
  • Jason Silver - Ph.D./M.A.; Morality & ideology, public opinion about crime and criminal justice, and decision-making
  • Bonita Veysey - Ph.D./M.S.; Transformation & reform, criminal identity, and implicit social cognition
  • Sara Wakefield - Ph.D./M.S.; Incarceration & reentry, stratification & inequality, and life course, family & childhood wellbeing

Notable Former Faculty

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Publications

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  • Larroulet, Pilar. “Substance Use and Incarceration Among Women in Chile.” Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. 2025.[26]
  • Ostermann, Michael. “Recidivism of Low-Risk People That Receive Residential Community-Based Correctional Programs: The Role of Risk Contamination.” Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 2022.[27]
  • Ruhland, Ebony. “Governing Marginality: Coercion and Care in Probation Supervision.” Social Problems, 2021.[28]
  • La Vigne, Nancy. “Next Steps for First Step: Building a Stronger Foundation of Oversight, Transparency, and Accountability.” 2019.[29]
  • Apel, Robert. “On the Deterrent Effect of Stop, Question, and Frisk.” Criminology & Public Policy, 2016.[30]
  • Chin, Ko-Lin. Going Down to the Sea: Chinese Sex Workers Abroad. 2014.[31]
  • Wakefield, Sara. Children of the Prison Boom: Mass Incarceration and the Future of American Inequality. 2013.[32]
  • Miller, Jody. One of the Guys: Girls, Gangs, and Gender. 2000.[33]

Undergraduate Alumni Awards[34]

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Lifetime Achievement Award

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Presented in recognition of life-long contributions to the field of criminal justice through career accomplishments and the furtherance of social justice.

  • 2023 – Dr. Gail A. Caputo
  • 2022 – Dr. Jesenia Pizarro

Outstanding Service Award

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Presented in recognition for civic engagement and the furtherance of social justice in one’s community (local, state, national, international) and/or demonstrated service to the University and/or School.

  • 2024 – Carmelo Ortiz and Al-Tariq Witcher
  • 2023 – Trinay V. Thomas
  • 2022 – Dr. Liza Chowdhury

Early Career Excellence Award

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Presented in recognition for a record of significant accomplishment in the field of criminal justice within 5 years of graduating from the School.

  • 2025 – Alexia Kaff
  • 2024 – Ryan Whyte
  • 2023 – Ronald W. Pierce
  • 2022 – Karimah Williams

See Also

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Rutgers University

Rutgers University–Newark

Criminal justice

Criminal justice reform in the United States

  1. ↑ "Best Criminology Schools". U.S. News. 2021. Archived from the original on 2020-05-09. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  2. ↑ "New Rutgers Classes Set (Published 1974)". The New York Times. 1974-02-03. Archived from the original on 2025-04-16. Retrieved 2025-08-10.
  3. ↑ "Rutgers Course Set On Criminal Justice (Published 1974)". The New York Times. 1974-08-11. Archived from the original on 2025-12-12. Retrieved 2025-08-10.
  4. ↑ "Criminal Justice Library | Rutgers Law". library.law.rutgers.edu. Archived from the original on 2025-07-18. Retrieved 2025-08-12.
  5. ↑ "School of Criminal Justice Celebrates 50th Anniversary with Kick-Off Event". www.newark.rutgers.edu. Archived from the original on 2025-06-12. Retrieved 2025-08-10.
  6. ↑ "History and Purpose". rscj.newark.rutgers.edu. Archived from the original on 2026-01-08. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
  7. ↑ "N.J. Programs Help Incarcerated Individuals Assimilate into College Life". Diverse: Issues In Higher Education. 2013-07-09. Archived from the original on 2025-05-13. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  8. ↑ Moughan, Lisa (2025-07-30). "Podcast: Geography of Crime - The Power of Partnership". CAP Index. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
  9. ↑ Barrett, Joe; McWhirter, Cameron (2023-02-02). "Tyre Nichols Case Prompts Questions About Police Tactics in Crime Hot Spots". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on 2023-03-29. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  10. ↑ "$3 Million Investment to Expand Newark Public Safety Collaborative's Model". TAPinto. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
  11. ↑ "Alabama's body-camera law undermines police accountability, lawyers say". The Washington Post. 2025-07-26. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
  12. ↑ Schneid, Rebecca (8/28/2025). "Trump Railed Against Youth Crime in D.C. Experts Say His Crackdown Won't Work". TIME. {{cite magazine}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ↑ Olorunnipa, Toluse (2025-09-24). "The Unconstitutional Tactics Trump Wants to Revive in Memphis". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 2025-11-01. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
  14. ↑ Sytsma, Will (2025-09-22). "Despite Initiatives, Use of Force by Jersey City Police During Mental Health Crises Continues". Jersey City Times. Archived from the original on 2025-09-22. Retrieved 2025-11-12.
  15. ↑ "Book exposes Chinese counterfeiter processes". 2025-07-28. Archived from the original on 2025-08-09. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
  16. ↑ "Former DOJ scientists advocate for justice-focused crime research as federal funding faces cuts". EurekAlert!. Archived from the original on 2025-12-13. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
  17. ↑ "A road map to reduce firearm harms by 2040 | Penn Today". penntoday.upenn.edu. 2025-11-03. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
  18. ↑ Herron, Arika (2025-09-08). "How social media contributes to Indianapolis' youth gun homicides". Axios. Archived from the original on 2025-10-10. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
  19. ↑ Covert, Bryce (2025-11-24). "This Is How the Child Welfare System Becomes Less Traumatizing". ISSN 0027-8378. Archived from the original on 2026-01-14. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
  20. ↑ Lewinski, John Scott (2025-10-10). "Suspects in political killings come from backgrounds of relative safety". Washington Examiner. Archived from the original on 2025-10-20. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
  21. ↑ Watford, Amanda (2025-08-20). "Extreme heat in prisons brings more legal challenges, pressure on states • Stateline". Stateline. Archived from the original on 2025-11-14. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
  22. ↑ Chapoco, Ralph (2025-11-03). "Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles to open rehab facility for women". Alabama Reflector. Archived from the original on 2025-11-05. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
  23. ↑ Morris, William. "First-of-its-kind study finds changing Iowa probation rules greatly reduces imprisonments". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved 2025-11-12.
  24. ↑ "Faculty". rscj.newark.rutgers.edu. Archived from the original on 2025-08-25. Retrieved 2025-08-10.
  25. ↑ Roberts, Sam (2019-05-15). "George L. Kelling, a Father of 'Broken Windows' Policing, Is Dead at 83 (Published 2019)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2019-05-16. Retrieved 2025-08-10.
  26. ↑ "Study of incarcerated women in Chile, substance use disorders were associated with higher rates of recidivism, reincarceration, victimization". EurekAlert!. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
  27. ↑ Ostermann, Michael (2022-08-01). "Recidivism of Low-Risk People That Receive Residential Community-Based Correctional Programs: The Role of Risk Contamination". Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency. 59 (5): 659–695. doi:10.1177/00224278221078020. ISSN 0022-4278.
  28. ↑ Phelps, Michelle S; Ruhland, Ebony L (2022-08-01). "Governing Marginality: Coercion and Care in Probation". Social Problems. 69 (3): 799–816. doi:10.1093/socpro/spaa060. ISSN 0037-7791.
  29. ↑ La Vigne, Nancy G. (2019-12-01). "Next Steps for First Step: Building a Stronger Foundation of Oversight, Transparency, and Accountability". Federal Sentencing Reporter. 32 (2): 104–105. doi:10.1525/fsr.2019.32.2.104. ISSN 1053-9867.
  30. ↑ Apel, Robert (2016). "On the Deterrent Effect of Stop, Question, and Frisk". Criminology & Public Policy. 15 (1): 57–66. doi:10.1111/1745-9133.12175. ISSN 1745-9133. Archived from the original on 2021-05-16. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  31. ↑ "Going Down to the Sea: Chinese Sex Workers Abroad". Silkworm Books. Archived from the original on 2025-07-09. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  32. ↑ "Children of the Prison Boom - Hardcover - Sara Wakefield; Christopher Wildeman - Oxford University Press". global.oup.com. Archived from the original on 2023-06-07. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  33. ↑ global.oup.com https://global.oup.com/academic/product/one-of-the-guys-9780195130782?q=one%20of%20the%20guys&lang=en&cc=us. Retrieved 2025-08-11. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  34. ↑ "Undergraduate Alumni Award Recipients". rscj.newark.rutgers.edu. Archived from the original on 2025-08-03. Retrieved 2026-01-09.
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